


Four AM

by PinkPandorafrog



Series: Advent Calendar 2017 [21]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aromantic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 01:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13089186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: It's 3:30 in the morning, and Darcy's already been up for an hour.





	Four AM

**Author's Note:**

> December 21's prompt is falling snow.

Darcy was awake. It was three-thirty in the morning, and she was awake. To be completely fair, she’d been awake since about two-thirty, and was no closer to sleep than she had been then.

It was probably time to get up and do something. She stuck her hand outside of the covers, then snatched it back in. It was  _ cold _ out there. Although… It was awfully quiet. Maybe it had finally started snowing, like they’d been forecasting all week.

She took the blanket with her as she got out of bed, wrapped around her for warmth as she padded over to the window. The slats on the blinds were cold to the touch as she pulled them apart just enough to look outside.

It was snowing. It looked like maybe a couple of inches had already collected on the ground, and big, thick flakes were steadily falling.

Well, if she wasn’t sleeping, she might as well get outside and enjoy it before it turned into dirty slush and ice. She got dressed in nice, warm layers and quickly pulled a brush through her hair before jamming a warm woolen hat on her head.

It was nice outside. It was cold, obviously, but bearable. Everything had that liminal space hushed feeling. Her boots crunched across the fresh snow, and she couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t sleep, but she could have some rare quiet time outside.

There was someone standing just over there across the street, all in black. A twinge of anxiety pulled through her, but she recognized the face. He was one of SHIELD’s. Rumlow? That sounded right.

As soon as she met his eyes, he started across the street towards her. Didn’t even look both ways or anything, not that there was traffic about. He fell in step with her effortlessly, his hands deep in his pockets.

“Are you following me or something?” she asked after a few seconds. She already knew the answer to that question.

“You looked like you could use the company.”

She glanced over at him. “You know, I’m surprised you didn’t just sneak up on me. As it was, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

He smirked, but he kept his eyes straight in front of him. “I didn’t wanna get tazed.”

She didn’t actually have her taser on her. She’d kind of just wanted to enjoy the peace for a bit, and the taser seemed in direct opposition to that. Plus, she knew she’d have someone making sure she was safe. Apparently from right beside her.

“I’ve been up for a bit,” Darcy said after another little while. “Couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“I’ve been up for a bit, too.” The smirk was back.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, but out of the two of us, only one is actually supposed to be awake right now. The other one has to get up for work in a few hours.”

“So call out. Say you’re sick or you can’t leave your bed or something.” His eyes sort of lingered on her when he said that last bit. “Go in late if it makes you feel better.”

She sighed. “You know what’s going to happen? I’m going to have a nice walk, start thinking, that was nice, maybe I could sleep now, then get home and get ready to get back to bed and be totally awake? And then by the time it’s time to head in, I’ll want to go back to sleep again.”

“What you need is someone who’ll make sure you stay in bed.” She saw him look down at her. “Don’t you have someone you know who’ll do that?”

“What, make me sleep?” She looked over to meet his eyes.

“Sure, eventually, I guess.”

She sighed and turned her eyes back to the soft snow in front of her. “Not at this hour. It’s, what, four?” 

He actually pulled his hand out of his pocket to check his watch. “Getting pretty close.”

“Yeah. No one I can call for a four AM booty call.” Okay, to be fair, they might go for it. But she’d feel bad getting them out of bed at that hour. And then the travel time, and then by the time they got there, it would probably be close to time to go anyway…

“Maybe it’s time you broadened your horizons, then. Made new friends.”

“What, like you?” She glanced over at him.

“Maybe, if you’re offering. I’d have to check my schedule. I’ve been busy around four lately.”

She snorted in amusement. It was probably time to head back home, as much as she was enjoying being out in the snow. They could loop around the block and head back. “Aren’t you supposed to have some big fuck-off gun or something?”

“I put it somewhere safe. I’m still armed.” The amused tone in his voice matched his expression.

“Yes, because  _ that’s _ what I’m worried about. Whether or not you’re armed.” Darcy pressed her lips into a thin line. “How much longer are you guys going to keep following me around, anyway?”

“No clue. Until my boss says we’re done, I guess.”

Darcy made a face. “I can’t imagine you’re having too much fun up there.” She looked over at him. “You know, considering you’re out here instead of up there watching paint dry or something.”

“The night shift fucking sucks.” His tone was mild enough. “If they come at you, there’s a good chance it’ll be at night. Gotta stay alert. But unless that actually happens, well…” He shook his head. “You don’t do much at night.”

“Sorry my nocturnal habits are so boring. Should I join an underground fight club or something?”

Rumlow shook his head. “Don’t do that. Then I’d have to get in there to stop you getting your ass beat, and I am getting too old for that shit.”

She grinned. “Yeah? But sitting on your ass with a gun and, what, Netflix? That’s more your speed?”

“What’m I supposed to do instead? Take up photography?”

An inelegant snort escaped her nose. “Yeah. You could take posed pictures of your gun or something, put it on Instagram.” She paused for a second. “You’re not going to get in trouble for coming down here with me, are you?”

“Nope. It’d be irresponsible to let you out of my sight.” He gestured at the house they were walking by. “Can’t see around all the buildings from up there.”

“But aren’t I out of your sight when I’m in my house?” She was only half-teasing, because she wouldn’t put it past SHIELD to put cameras in there or something, but that… No. That would be bad.

“You inviting me in?” There was just a hint of something in his voice. Teasing, maybe?

“Maybe. Not if I don’t know your first name, though.”

“Brock.” It suited him, somehow. “Tell you what, sweetness, I’ll do you one better. I’ll leave you my number. You have a hard time falling asleep again, you call me. Then we don’t have to trudge around out here in the cold.”

“But this is nice. There’s no one else around, everything’s all pretty and hushed…” She looked straight at him. “You mean to tell me you’re not having a good time?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.” But he was smiling.


End file.
